Needle or tufting device



Sept. 18,1934. R. c. LANG 1,974,052

NEEDLE OR TI JFTING DEVICE Filed Ju ne 15. 1952 I f @fN?-JT0R 1 El 9 722m ATTORNEY patented Sept. 18,

UNETED STATES PATENT trace 1,974,052 NEEDLE ORYTUFTING DEVICE Application June 15, 1932, Serial No. 617,375

5 Claims. (01. 22338) This invention relates to improvements in needles or tufting devices, and by that is meant needles which are tobe used in tufting mattresses,

day beds, upholstery and the like. This particu- .5 lar device is primarily adapted for the practice of the method and the use of the tufting elements disclosed in the copending application for patent filed by Annette Fridolph June 8, 1931, Serial Number 542,799.

An important characteristic of this method and of the tufting elements used in connection therewith resides in the use of a preformed tufting element which is placed in its final tufting position by. one operation on the part of the tufting operator. The tufting element is provided with a head or similar means which is adapted to be received by the needle and within the needle, and when the needle is passed through the mattress, day bed or other article being tufted, this head is released and the tufting operation is' completed. a

The principal object of this inventionis th provision of a single one-piece form. of needle which is readily adapted to use'thetufting elements and practice the tufting process of the above mentioned Fridolph application.

To the accomplishment of .the foregoing and such otherobjects as may hereinafter appear, this invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and then sought to be defined. in the appended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing forming a part hereof and which shows, merelyfor the purpose of illustrative disclosure, two embodiments of my invention, it being expressly understood,'however, thatvarious changes may be made in practice withinthe scope of the claims without digressing from my inventive idea;

In the drawingt Figure 1 represents a perspective view-of one form of needle constructed to embody my invention, one end of the tufting element being associated with the head of the needle.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross section of the head end of the needle shown in. Figure 1 with positions of thetufting head indicated,

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view through a mattress or other article being tufted illustrating the use of this device.

Figure 4' is a perspective view of another form of needle embodying my invention.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal cross section of the head of the needle shown in Figure 4;

element 6.

Figure 6 is a transverse cross section taken substantially on line 66 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a'transverse cross section taken substantially on line 7-7 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of another form of needle embodying my invention.

The needle 1 is preferably in the form of an elongated metallic member having a sharp point 2 at one end. As it is adapted to be used for tufting mattresses, day beds, upholstery and the like, the needle will preferably be made of heavy and strong material and should be solid in construction, though-for certain purposes a tubular or hollow needle may be suitable and satisfactory.

The reference character 3 designates the head end of the needle and this is shown as flattened and widened in construction. This head end is provided with the open trough or recess 4 for a substantial length along one side thereof, this trough or recess being of sufficient width to slidably and readily receive the head 5 of the tufting Entrance to this trough or recess 4 is obtained by means of the opening or aperture 7 on the other'side of the head of the needle. This opening or aperture is of sufiicient size to permit the ready passage of the head 5 of the tufting element therethrough. This-opening or aperture 7 is removed from the extreme end of the needle, and in fact gives entrance into the lower portion of the trough or recess 4 and leads into a-comparatively narrow slot 8 which extends upwardly therefrom to a point near the upper end of the'needle. This-slot 8 is of sufficient width to receive the body part of the tufting element 6 so that when the head 5 is introduced into the trough or recess 4 by being passed through the opening or aperture 7 and the said head is moved upwardly until the body of the tufting element 6 is positioned in the narrow slot 8, the tufting head 5 will be securely locked and held in position within the head of the needle ready for the tufting operation.

In performing the tufting operation, the head of the tufting element is placed in the recess 4 of the needle as described and the needle is then? forced through the mattress, day bed, upholstery or other article until the tufting element passes through the article as a whole. The tufting head is then readily released from the head of the needle and engages the surface of the article being tufted so that thisparticular tufting operation is completed. The needle may be passed from top to bottom, or bottom to top, or side to side through the article being tufted.

In the other form of device illustrated in Figures 4., 5 and 7, the needle 11 is of substantially the same construction having the sharp point 12 and the head end 13. This head end is flattened and widened in construction and has the closed end 14. Below the closed end 14 the needle is hollowed out or formed or provided with a trough or recess 15 forming a chamber or compartment which is adapted to receive thehead'16 of a tufting element 1'7. In the form illustrated in the drawing, this tufting head 16 is flat, and therefore the trough or recess 15 is greater in width than; in depth.

This trough or recess 15 is somewhat'longer than the full length of the head.16. and-a portion of the trough or recess is closed except for-a narrow slot 18, by means of the overhanging iflange portions 19 of the body of the needle. These flange portions 19 form a top'for'a portion of the recess 15, and the slot 18 provides a means'to receive the material forming the body of the tufting enough and wide enoughto freely-receive this head element, and furthermore,;the distance betweenthe closed end14= and the edges of flanges 19 may be less-than the length of the'head16 of the tufting element. Therefore, when the head of the tufting element is placed in the recess and pushed downwardly it willpass under theover-extending flanges 19 with the material of the body of thetufting element passing into the narrow slot 18 so that the head of the tufting element is securely lockedinposition within the head of the needle.

This tufting operation is exactly the same as with the other form of this invention previously described. The needle is passed .through the .mattress, day bed,.upholstery or other, article in any direction after the tufting element ,is connected to the needle as above described. The

entire tufting element ispulled through the article being tufted and when the head of theneedle passes the opposite surface from where it'enters, the head 15 may be readily released from the needle and will engage the surface through which the needle hasjust emerged to complete the: tufting operation.

It is to be noted that in both :of the forms of this invention, that head or" the tufting element whichis passed through the article being tufted is positioned entirely within the ahead of the needle and is therefore carried completely through the article being tufted. In the form usually used, the tufting element has-a similar or corresponding head on-the other end which engages that surface of the article being tufted through which the point of the needleifirst passes and as the needle isdrawn therethrough, this last mentioned head will engage such surface and anchor that end of the tufting element as a whole. Theother end of the tufting element is anchored aspreviouslydescribed,after being released from the head of the tuftingneedle after a the latter has passed completely through the article being tufted.

The tufting element for which this device is particularly designed includes a length of flexible material such as tape or the like, forming the body thereof with a stiffened head on-each end thereof. This head'may take various forms,:one

preferred form being shown in the drawing.

This form of head is comparatively vwide and fiat and thehead end of "the needle-is.so :formed that the sides of the trough or recess in which the tufting head fits are rounded or otherwise shaped so as to receive the tufting head in a fairly tight fit, resulting in the secure holding of the tufting head within the head of the needle until it is desired to release the same at the end of the tufting. operation.

In :the construction shown inFigure 8, the recess for receiving the tufting head of the tufting element is located adjacent the point of the vneedle, the needle being designated by the reference character 20, the trough or recess 21, the narrow slot 22 providing the overhanging .flange.portions..23 .for the trough or recess 21 -wherebythe tuftinghead of the tufting element is securelylocked and held in position during the tufting operation.

It'is therefore seen that I have provided a device of simple and unitary construction, which is very simple to use and which will handle and :control and 1 use 1 the tufting, elements referred to avery:efliciently and in asecure mannerr-and; perform a very. satisfactory. tufting operation.

What :1 claim is:

1.;A;tufting needle or the. like havinga'head formed-with a trough or recess to ,slidably receive .astifi'tuftinghead of a preformed tuftingelement, said needle head also having :an opening leading to said trough or recess, said openingbeing longerin lengthithanthe maximum'rwidth of .saidahead so as-to receive a tufting head longer than :such maximum Width, and a restricted: slot communicating with said. opening and said trough orzrecess andzadapted to receive partofthebody of-the.tufting.element and securely hold the tuft- :ing head within thetroughor recess of theneedle head during ,the tufting operation.

:2. ALtuftingJneedleor theilike having a; sharp apoint 'at-..one:end.and.a head at the otherend, -said headibeinghollowedrout .to form a chamber to receive a stiff tufting head of a preformedctuft- :ingelement, vsaidanee'dle-head having a cutout :portion: to form anopening; leading tossaid. chamber to ipermitltheinsertion. of thertufting head, said "needle "head also 'having a restricted .-slot communicating :with: said chamber. and said open- .ing toreceive part of thebody'of the'tufting ele- .ment;.and' encaserandihold. the tufting head with- -in1the chamberin the needle :head during the tufting operation.

3. (Aitufting needle. orithe like havinga sharp point atone endand :ahead atithe other end, .said:headlbeing hollowed out-to form a-. chamber .to receive thetufting head of a tufting element, :said needle head having an opening leading to said: chamber to: permit the insertion of .the tufting: head, said needle head alsohaving -a restricted slot =formed by bent over flange portions on the needle head, said slot communicating with said chamber and with said opening to receive part of the body :of i the itufting t element 'and .hold -the tufting head :within the 'needle:head :during: the .tufting operation, the chamber in said zneedle head being adapted to havethetufting head'positioned entirely within said :needle head.

,4. A tuftingneedle or thelike having'a sharp point at-oneend and-a-head-at .theother end, :said-head being hollow for receiving .a stiff .tuft- :ing head of a preformed tufting element, *said needle head having a cutaway portion forming -an.opening for the insertion ,of'theituftinghead, said needle 'headlalso having a relatively .narrow :slot. communicating with saidv opening toreceive part of the body of thatuftingelement-land to securely hold the tufting head within said needle head during the tufting operation.

5. A tufting needle having a sharp point at one end and a head at the other end, said head having an imperforate bottom face and upstanding opposite sides and the front face of the head cut away at one portion thereof to form a channel 

